Knee clamp for planers



July 29, 1930; L, H, MESKER ET AL 1,771,857

KNEE CLAMP FOR PLANERS Filed June 11, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 July 29, 1930; KE ET AL 1,771,857

KNEE cLAMF on PLANERS Filed June 11, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 JMM W Lil Patented July 29, 1930 LOUIS H. MESKER,.OF SHAKER HEIGHTS, AND JACOB JENNE, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO, ASSIGNORS- TO CLEVELAND BLANEl-t COMPANY, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO,

CORPORATION OF OHIO Application filed. June 11,

1 This invention relates generally to an open side planer and more particularly to a knee clamp for clamping the'knee of the planer in the desired position.

The main object of the invention is to provide a simple and efiicient mechanism for rigidly and firmly securing the knee in the deinvention will appear as the description proceeds and by reference to the accompanying drawings in which Fig. 1 is a view in front elevation of an open side plane disclosing the relative arrangement of parts; Fig. 2 is a de-' tail fragmentary top plan View illustrating the operating mechanism for securing the knee to the column with parts broken away to show details of the construction; Fig. 3 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view disclosing the means for operating the locking mechanism; Fig. 4 is a fragmentary horizontal sectional view of the left hand end of the column and knee, as viewed in Fig. 2, and 5 is a detail perspective view of the floating gib for securing the parts in position. I

All planers of this general type embody a base portion or bed from which rises a column. Mounted for reciprocatory movement on the bed is a table on which the work is supported. Mounted on the column at right angles thereto, and adapted for reciprocatory movement thereon in a vertical plane, is the knee on which is mounted the rail. The rail carries the cutting tools which are mounted directly thereon and adapted for adjustment in both a vertical and a horizontal plane. The knee is a large triangular member which is slidably mounted on the column and adapted to be moved up and down on the column 1 KNEE CLAMP FOR ELANERS 1922. Serial No. 284,518.

by means of suitable mechanism well known to those skilled in the art. Due'to the size, weight and shape'of the knee, great difficulty has been experienced in the mechanism for securely-locking the knee in the adjusted position and it is toward thisfeatu're that this invention is particularlydirected.

Referring now to the drawings, the refer ence character 1 designates the base or bed of the planer on which is mounted the table 2 which is adapted for reciprocatory movement thereon in a vertical plane. Rising from the base member or bed -1 is the column?) which is disposed at right angles to the bed. Mounted on the column 3 and at right angles thereto is the knee 4 which isadapted for movement in a vertical plane by means of a screw 5 in a. manner well known to those skilled in the art. The bearing surfaces on the column 3 project outwardly slightly as shown at 6 and 7 and the central portion of the column is cut away slightly as shown. That portion of the knee't embracing the column is shaped as shown'most clearly in Fig. 2 so as to engage both the front and back of the column.

The left hand, edge of the column, as viewed in Fig. 2 is cut at an angle of 15 degrees with respect to the front face 6, as shown at a in-Fig. 2. The opposite side of the column 3 is provided with a projecting portion 8 the front and side faces of. which a grees, as shown at c in Fig. 2, and normally extends, parallel with the surface 5. Dis-. posed between the surfaces 7) and 01s a gib as to just fit therebetween, the purpose of which will hereinafter appear.

The opposite end of the knee 4i is also provided with a portion 12 extending beyond the side face of the column, and a portion .13

The rear or wedge 11 which is of such a size and shape 9 shaft.

extending along and abutting the rear face thereof. By reference to Fig. 4. it will be seen that the portion 12 is spaced a slight dis tance from the side face a of the column so as to provide a space let therebetween' Mounted on the top of the knee is a block 15 having a bore 16 therethrough. Extending through the bore 16 and having a bearing therein is a shaft 17 to the upper end of which is non-rotatably secured a worm gear 18. The shaft 17 projects downwardly through the space 14. The upper portion of shaft 17 is provided with a right hand thread 19 and the lower portion of shaft 17 is provided with a left hand thread 20.

Threadedly secured over the upper portion of the shaft is a tapered wedge or block 21 and threadedly secured over the lower por tion of the shaft 17 is a tapered wedge or block 22 the taper of which is in the opposite direction from that of sleeve 21. Also arranged within the space 14 is a floating gib 23 one face of which is angular so as to bear against the surface a and the opposite face of which is tapered in opposite direction so as to conform to and bear against the tapered surfaces of the wedges 21 and 22, the purpose of which will hereinafter appear.

Carried by the knee 4 and having bearings at the opposite ends thereof is a shaft 2% to one end of which is connected a crank Mounted adjacent the opposite end of the shaft 24: is a worm 26 which meshes with and drives worm gear 18. The worm 26 and worm gear 18 are preferably enclosed within a casing as shown in Figs. 2 and 3. Due to the right and left hand threads 19and 20 and due to the fact that the blocks or wedges 21 and 22 are held against rotation, it will be seen that when the shaft 17 is turned, the wedges 21 and 22 will be moved toward or away from each other depending upon the direction of rotation of the It will also be seen that due to the gibs 11 and 23 and due to the angular surfaces a, b and 0, there will be a wedging action in two directions between the knee 4 and the column 3. The difference between the 15 degree angle at the surface a and the 7 degree angle at the surfaces 6 and 0 causes the gib 23 to move sideways and hold the knee tight against the face of the column.

It will now be clear that we have provided a very simple and efficient mechanism for locking the knee to the column. Various changes may be made in the details of construction as well as in the shape of the several parts without departing from the spirit of our invention and we wish our invention to be limited only in accordance with the scope of the appended claim.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim is:

The combination with the column and knee of a planer, of locking mechanism carried by said knee for locking the same in adjusted position, said knee embracing the front and rear sides of said column, the said column having angular bearing surfaces at the front and rear thereof which surfaces are disposed at different angles with respect to the column, gibs interposed between the bearing surfaces of the knee and column and a pair of wedges disposed adjacent one of said gibs and a mechanism for simultaneously'moving said wedges in opposite directions, said angular surfaces being so disposed as to cause a wedging action between said knee and column in two directions.

In testimony whereof, we hereunto ailix our signatures. V

LOUIS H. MESKER. JACOB JENNE. 

